Further Reading

Information about Lord Datta is spread across numerous books, websites and granths. This page is an attempt to list down literature about Shree Datta for the inquisitive bhakta.

Shree GuruCharitra – By Shri Saraswati Gangadhar

This is one of the most important granthas for the devotees of Shree Datta. It is considered to be worthy of worship in itself. The Shree GuruCharitra predominantly describes the life story of the second Kaliyugi Avatar of Shree Datta, Shree Narsimhasaraswati Maharaj. A few chapters are also devoted to the life story of the first Kaliyugi Avatar of Shree Datta, Shreepad Shreevallabh Maharaj. The Shree GuruCharitra is in the form of a dialog between Siddha and his disciple Namdharak. It was originally written by Shri Saraswati Gangadhar. Devotees typically take up parayan(reading) of this grantha over a period of seven days known as saptah. Please visit this page for more information about the Shree GuruCharitra. Available in: Ideal Book Depot, Dadar.

Shreepad Shreevallabh Charitramrut – By Shri Shankar Bhatt

The information given in Shree GuruCharitra about Shreepad Shreevallabh Maharaj is very sketchy. This grantha is the detailed life story of Shreepad Shreevallabh and it was written by one his direct disciples Shankar Bhatta at the behest of Shreepad Maharaj himself. In the year 2001, on Vijaya Dashami day a pious person named Shri Malladi Govinda Deekshitulu came from Bhimavaram to Pithapuram. He informed the Shreepad Shreevallabh Mahasamsthan that a Telugu copy of Shreepad Shreevallabh Charitramrutam written by Shankar Bhatt in Sanskrit was in their house. He added that he belonged to the family of the maternal grandfather of Shree Shreepada and that the book was in their house from the last 32 generations. This is how the Shreepad Shreevallabh Charitramrutam came to be published by the Mahasamsthan. From this book, the devotees can understand the philosophical secrets, form and nature of Shree Datta, the importance of Shree Shreepada incarnation, worship Shree Shreepada and attain salvation.Devotees also take up parayan of this grantha over a period of seven days (saptah).

Available in: Ideal Book Depot, Dadar.

Shree Datta Mahatmya - By Shree Vasudevanand Saraswati

This is a very holy granth in the Datta Sampradaya. This granth describes the birth of Lord Dattatreya in detail. Some of the important stories in this granth are:

Shree Datta saves the gods from the Jambhasur demon.

Shree Datta gives benediction of a thousand arms to King Kartavirya Arjun and then later teaches him atmadnyan.

Shree Parshuram becomes a disciple of Shree Datta after killing all the kshatriyas in the world and is taught the Tripura Rahasya.

King Alarka becomes a disciple of Shree Datta and is taught the Supreme Truth.

Devotees also take up parayan of Shree Datta Mahatmya over a period of seven days.

Shree Datta Puran – By Shree Vasudevanand Saraswati

Shree Vasudevanand Saraswati composed Datta Purana.The principal deity of this Purana is Lord Dattatreya and so its title is Datta - Puranam. The method of its construction is also unique. It is like that of Rgveda. It is divided in to eight Ashtakas, every Ashtaka again being divided in to eight chapters. Thus there are in all 64 chapters, having 350 verses in total. The first two Ashtakas discuss Gnana Kanda, the other four Upasna - Kanda and the last two karma Kanda, The first chapters is Vedapada Stuti. This great work teaches us yoga, Advaita philosophy, Bhakti, Mantras and their procedures, history of great persons, social and religions Dharma and Karma etc.The original work is in Sanskrit Verse form, which speaks of the mastery of the author in that language. However, he has also composed an anuvad of this purana in Marathi.

Krupamurti Shree NarsimhaSaraswati - By Shri Krishnanand

This book contains the life story of Shree Narsimha Saraswati and his various miracles in great detail. It is a much more detailed version of the stories written in the Shree GuruCharitra, which are in ovi form. Shri Krishnanand has gone in great depth in describing the various leelas of Shree Guru's avatar. However, the didactic chapters of the Shree Gurucharitra such as the importance of Rudraksha, the greatness of Bhasma, the importance of Somavar-vrata and other such teachings are just touched upon and not expounded.

Available in: Ideal Book Depot, Dadar.

Dattatreya: The Immortal Guru, Yogin, and Avatara: A Study of the Transformative and Inclusive Character of a Multi-Faceted Hindu Deity – By Antonio Rigopoulos

This is a comprehensively researched study of Lord Dattatreya by Antonio Rigopoulos and it covers the major aspects of Lord Dattatreya from the Puranas and the Upanishads, his teachings and his worship. It also talks about the famous devotees of Shree Datta and his places of worship. Some information is also given about two major works attributed to Lord Dattatreya – the Tripura Rahasya and the Avadhut Gita. The book concludes with the development of the Dattatreya iconography.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi often quoted from the Tripura Rahasya and considered it to be one of the greatest works expounding the traditional teachings of Advaita. In this fascinating scripture, through stories and analogies, the entire spectrum of spiritual pursuit and attainment is laid out in clear terms. Every sadhaka, serious about attaining the supreme goal of life, should apply him or herself to the teachings of the Tripura Rahasya. Lord Dattatreya taught the Tripura Rahasya to Parasurama, the sixth avatar of Shree Vishnu. Parasurama thus realized the Self by the guidance of Shree Datta and dwelt on the Malaya Hill in South India.

The Song of the Avadhut (Avadhut Gita) – By Dattatreya (Translated by Swami Abhayananda)

Of all the mystical treatises of ancient Indian literature, the Avadhut Gita is one of the most eloquent and compelling. Its theme is the unitive knowledge obtained through mystical vision, the knowledge of the eternal Self. This gita, attributed to Lord Dattatreya, is a call to knowledge, the supreme knowledge of ultimate Truth. Shree Datta holds out no compromise with illusion, he offers no foothold on separation, he allows no semblance of duality at all to creep into our perception of reality. Available in: Junglee.com

Kardalivan: Ek Anubhuti - By Prof. Kshitij Patukle

Shree Swami Samarth emerged out of Kardalivan and this is supposedly the first book on Kardalivan. In Shree GuruCharitra it is mentioned that Shree Narsimha Saraswati Maharaj, in order to end his Avatar, went to Kardalivan, near the Patalganga and started doing tapa below an Ashwattha tree. An anthill was formed around him and after 350 years, a wood-cutter unknowingly hacked at the anthill thereby interrupting Shree Guru's samadhi. However, the one who emerged from the anthill was none other than Shree Swami Samarth of Akkalkot. This book has detailed information about Kardalivan and its significance right from Puranic times. For more information about this book please visit this page